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Rain stalls harvest
A week of steady precipitation has not harmed fields full of corn. However, it has kept anxious farmers waiting.
Agricultural consultant Chad Nelson said there are a lot of farmers with equipment sitting idle and big crops to cut.
"Other than a delay in harvest, we're haven't had any severe damage," said Nelson.
LSU AgCenter's Carol Pinnell-Alison agreed with Nelson's assessment.
"So far, I think we're okay," Pinnell-Alison said. "It's just very unnerving for our producers because it's time to harvest and the weather isn't cooperating."
Nelson said as of today, very little Franklin Parish corn has made it out of the fields.
"Most folks were able to harvest Monday, but it looks like we're about to get shut down again," Nelson said.
Early last week, the first days of the corn harvest were cut short when as much as 4.5 inches of rain fell on parts of Franklin Parish.
That meant producers were unable to return to the fields last week, as they waited for the fields to dry out and moisture levels in the plant to drop.
With the promise of more rain this week, Nelson said he does not expect producers to get back into the field before next week.
"It's slow go for sure," Nelson said.
Pinnell-Alison said that, while corn is safe for now, the bigger threat is to early soybeans and cotton.
The water could damage some young cotton bolls and crop aids applied to soybeans earlier in the month mean that bean pods could begin popping open.
"The longer the beans stay in the field, the worse the damage and higher the loss," Pinnell-Alison said. |
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